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slow cooker homemade apple butter - featured image

Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Butter: One Trick for Perfect Texture

  • Author: Natalia
  • Total Time: 12 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: Makes approximately 4-5 cups 1x

Description

A rich, deeply spiced apple butter made in a slow cooker with a unique brick trick for caramelization. This low-effort recipe uses cheap seasonal apples to create a thick, amber-colored spread perfect for toast, baking, or glazing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6–8 pounds apples (mix of McIntosh and Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 to 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 small unglazed clay brick (cleaned and dried)

Instructions

  1. Peel, core, and chop apples into 1-inch chunks. Place them in a 6-quart slow cooker insert.
  2. Add apple cider and lemon juice to the apples and stir to coat.
  3. Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt over the apples. Do not stir yet.
  4. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours, then switch to LOW for 6-8 hours (total 10-12 hours) until apples are completely tender and falling apart.
  5. Remove the lid and blend the mixture until smooth using a food mill or immersion blender. If too liquid, cook uncovered on HIGH for 30-60 minutes to reduce.
  6. Wrap the clean, unglazed brick tightly in clean cotton cloth. Place the wrapped brick directly on top of the apple butter in the slow cooker.
  7. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour to caramelize the sugars and deepen the color.
  8. Remove the brick and let the apple butter cool in the pot for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. It will thicken as it cools.
  9. Ladle the cooled apple butter into clean glass jars for storage.

Notes

The brick must be unglazed, uncoated, and thoroughly cleaned. Some people bake the brick in the oven first to sterilize it. The apple butter will thicken significantly as it cools. If it remains runny, cook uncovered on HIGH for additional time. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10-12 hours
  • Category: Condiment
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
  • Calories: 45
  • Sugar: 9
  • Carbohydrates: 11
  • Fiber: 1

Keywords: apple butter, slow cooker recipes, fall recipes, homemade preserves, brick trick, apple butter recipe, vegan condiment, seasonal cooking

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Find it online: https://fooduvo.com/slow-cooker-homemade-apple-butter-one-trick-for-perfect-texture/